Many people frequently ask us if we perform certain procedures that are trending on social media or out in the community. One question some people have been asking recently is about whether or not we perform B12 injections, which are apparently becoming more commonly offered in many spas and wellness venues.
For your background, B12 is an important vitamin for the human body, and is integral to blood cell production. In fact, B12 deficiency is associated with a condition known as pernicious anemia.
However, fortunately for us humans, vitamin B12 is found abundantly in many foods. It is also easily absorbed through the intestines from both foods and vitamin supplements.
There are only a few fairly rare conditions where B12 is not absorbed by the intestines and B12 injections are required. In several decades of primary care practice and treating thousands of patients per year, Dr. Burke has only had a handful of people who truly required B12 injections.
So, why are there other non-medical places that are offering this service? Well, there has been a feeling out there for many years that a B12 injection will give a person some kind of energy boost or enhance their wellness.
Medically speaking, this increase in energy is simply not at all true. In fact, any perceived boost felt is probably a placebo effect.
Additionally, any B12 your body absorbs, whether orally through food and supplements or by injection that it does not need in a certain time frame, will eventually be disposed of by your kidneys. To be blunt, if you are paying for B12 injections, you are paying for expensive urine.
If you truly have a medical condition that requires B12 injections, your primary care office can arrange this. Also fortunately, your insurance will cover it.
As medical professionals who also provide aesthetic services, we at Maine Laser Skin Care try to be straight with all of our clients about what is medically appropriate in this field. Certainly, B12 shots are harmless, but you should not be under the illusion that they are giving you a boost of energy of which you are not already intrinsicly capable.
Save yourself lots of money and buy a bottle of generic B12 or B Complex vitamins at CVS or Walgreens and take one a day. You will get more than enough B12 that your body may need without needles, and without the unnecessary expense.